


"Storm of Love" - Minako's Second Chance

by DevinTowerwood



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: (very minor) angst, Canon Divergent, F/F, Fluff, I'm turning in fanfiction for an upper division feminist studies course, Multi, Pansexual Minako, Polyamory, ace lesbian Rei, screen play, total gay mess of a bi girl Mako
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 01:03:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11138145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DevinTowerwood/pseuds/DevinTowerwood
Summary: Divergent from the final scene of episode 141 of the Sailor Moon anime, "Storm of Love: Minako's Grand Two-Timing Plan", in which the most monogamous moment of television happened minutes after Minako confessed to loving two people at one time. As formal reparations for that garbage scene, here is my revision.





	"Storm of Love" - Minako's Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Due to the constraints of this project, the following story is a formal explanation as a short essay, with a screenplay format. It's very different than my other writing, but I hope the story I'm trying to tell is still legible in this format.
> 
> For easy context, watch episode 141 of Sailor Moon from about 17:00 onward.

Rationale

 

_Sailor Moon_ is an iconic Japanese “fighting girl” shoujo that aired from 1992 through 1997, featuring Tsukino Usagi, a 14-year-old middle schooler, and her many friends, all of whom have a destiny to fight the supernatural evils of the world. Due to its treasure trove of queer elements and themes, including a bisexual lead character, a bigender guardian in a relationship with another bisexual woman, and a huge host of trans and gender-ambiguous heroes and villains, _Sailor Moon_ is often perceived as a transition point towards positive queer representation and empowered representations of young women in Japanese popular media (Nagaike 2010). Despite that, the Sailor Moon anime was peculiarly conservative in its messaging, reinforcing hegemonic attitudes of gender, sexuality, and romance. While there have been many lenses applied to Sailor Moon in order to understand its playful interactions with these norms, including the perception that it, like many shoujo, is an attempt to show a path for girls and women to survive under the weight of patriarchy (Nagaike 2010), similar to Janice Radway’s conclusions about romance novels written by women in the United States (Radway 2007).

Regardless, _Sailor Moon_ has been so influential within the shoujo genre, especially yuri (media pertaining romantic feelings between women), that even total stylistic and substantive rejections of it refer to it constantly, through visual motifs, character replication, and story structure. One powerful criticism that emerged in the years following Sailor Moon was a critique of its central romance between Tsukino Usagi and her boyfriend Chiba Mamoru, who is a 23-year-old college student in the beginning of the show. Although Mamoru is depicted as an ideal masculine counterpart to Sailor Moon (Usagi), it is both the heteronormative assumptions and practices that drive their interactions, as well as their incredibly inappropriate age difference that has received a lot of backlash in other shoujo. One such shoujo, focusing on a critique of the way in which heteronormative tropes of romance reinforce an oppressive gender binary, is _Revolutionary Girl Utena_ , which more deeply explored the same themes of gender ambivalence and same-sex love while viciously rejecting much of _Sailor Moon_ ’s messages and substance (Butterfield 2017).

My response to Sailor Moon is in much of the same vein as _Utena_ , but perhaps more forgiving. While I reiterate its critique of toxic masculinity and heterosexist romance, I believe that Sailor Moon pushed the boundaries of gender and sexuality as a form of exploration into the possibilities of girlhood. Keeping that in mind, I revisit a particular misstep in the _Sailor Moon_ anime’s history: Episode 141, “Storm of Love: Minako's Grand Two-Timing Plan,” in which Sailor Venus attempts to romance two men at once, only for them to attack her when she admits to having feelings for them both (they were actually two of the villains in disguise, so the Sailor Guardians got to beat them up for it). Although the closing minutes of the episode reject Venus’s attempts at nonmonogamy as insincere, I believe the anime was brushing the edge of a queer pondering of polyamory. As Dean Spade discusses in his paper, “For Lovers and Fighters,” polyamory can emerge as part of an exploration of queer and trans identity, where notions of being a proper man or woman have already slipped away and, especially for people assigned female at birth, are told “that to seek out pleasure is to be a slut,” and “who are told to be sexy (for others to consume) but not pleasure-seeking” (Spade). Thus, in the vein of rejecting _Sailor Moon_ ’s reinscription of heterosexist romance, I hope to continue Venus’s exploration of nonmonogamous love through a rewriting of the closing scene of episode 141.

 

Original Scene Script

 

[MINAKO overlooks the city from a bridge over the freeway, looking glum.]

**ARTEMIS** [ _while approaching_ ]: Mina! Hurry up! Everyone is waiting.

**MINAKO:** ( _Quietly_ ) Okay.

[ARTEMIS sits on the railing in front of her as she makes no moves to leave, looking up questioningly.]

**MINAKO** : Artemis, I’m sorry I let those guys control me like that. ( _Smiling sadly_ ) I feel so stupid.

**ARTEMIS** : ( _Coyly_ ) Seemed to me like you had them going pretty good, too. ( _Optimistic_ ) But real love comes after experiencing many different things.

[MINAKO looks shocked as ARTEMIS speaks, but then smiles again.]

**MINAKO** : You may be right. Let’s go.

[BOTH turn to leave, apparently euphoric at this wisdom.]

**MINAKO** [ _voice over_ ]: I’m sure he’s right. The many people I meet are all leading up to someday meeting the one.

[Episode ends.]

 

A Second Chance

 

[ **MINAKO** overlooks the city from a bridge over the freeway, looking glum.]

**ARTEMIS** [ _while approaching_ ]: Mina! Hurry up! Everyone is waiting.

**MINAKO** : ( _Quietly_ ) Okay.

[ARTEMIS sits on the railing in front of her as she makes no moves to leave, looking up questioningly.]

**MINAKO** : Artemis, I’m sorry I let those guys control me like that. ( _Smiling sadly_ ) I feel so stupid.

**ARTEMIS** : ( _Coyly_ ) Seemed to me like you had them going pretty good, too.

[MINAKO hangs her head, looking at the cars below.]

**MINAKO** : Yeah. ( _Beat_.) I guess I did, didn’t I?

[ARTEMIS turns around, facing out towards towards the street.]

**ARTEMIS** [ _after a pause_ ]: I don’t get it, Mina. I’m not mad, I just don’t understand. Why did you even try? You couldn’t keep lying to them forever, even if they weren’t, you know . . .

[MINAKO laughs]

**MINAKO** : Evil?

**ARTEMIS** : Well, yes.

**MINAKO** : I know. ( _Beat._ ) I guess I just thought it would work out. I thought if they liked me enough, they wouldn’t be mad when I told them. ( _Growing frustrated_ ) I mean, I tried! But they were just . . .

**ARTEMIS** : Evil?

**MINAKO** : I was going to say ‘boys’, actually.

**ARTEMIS:** Eh?

**MINAKO** : You know. I mean, they just wanted to prove they could have me. Sure, they were bad guys and everything, but that’s how Yūichirō talks about Rei, and - okay, yeah, that’s how Usagi talks about Mamoru but-

**ARTEMIS** : Minako?

**MINAKO** : Yeah?

**ARTEMIS** : You really liked them, didn’t you? Both of them.

[MINAKO sighs, turning around and slumping down to the ground. She sits with her back against the railing. ARTEMIS jumps down onto the sidewalk beside her.]

**MINAKO** : Yeah.

**ARTEMIS** [ _after a pause_ ]: I’m sorry. ( _Beat._ ) But maybe it was better they were enemies than humans.

**MINAKO** : What do you mean?

**ARTEMIS** : You’re Princess Serenity’s guardian. Humans are frail, Mina, and trying to protect someone else - especially _two_ someone else’s - it’s not possible.

**MINAKO** : ( _Quietly_ ) I’m just a girl, Artemis. I’m a human.

**ARTEMIS** : For now. But on your twenty-second birthday you-

**MINAKO** : I know. I’ll be immortal. I’ll just stop. Falling in love with a human is just going to burden me.

**ARTEMIS** : Yes.

**MINAKO** : ( _Unsteadily_ ) I don’t care.

**ARTEMIS** : What was that?

[MINAKO stares right at ARTEMIS, who looks uneasy.]

**MINAKO** : I’m the guardian of love , Artemis, and I was always meant to be. I don’t care if I shouldn’t. ( _Beginning to cry_ ) Love isn’t a burden, Artemis.

**ARTEMIS** : But your duty is to-

**MINAKO** : I don’t care!

[MINAKO rises, sprinting down the sidewalk.]

**ARTEMIS** : Mina!

[ARTEMIS runs after her, but clearly cannot keep up. He stops running when she hits the end of the bridge, turns, and runs out of sight.]

 

[Cut to MINAKO as she runs through the shopping district. The sidewalks are a little crowded on a weekend evening, but people just turn to look for a second as she passes them.]

 

[Cut to MINAKO, out of breath in front of a shopping mall. She stands before the display window of a familiar dress shop. As she seems to realize where she is, she looks at a white and yellow sundress on a mannequin right in front of her. Her face becomes angry.]

**MINAKO** : I don’t have a Mamoru. In Crystal City Tokyo, I didn’t have anyone. I’ll never . . .

[MINAKO stares at the reflection of her face in the store window, hovering over the face of the mannequin. Her expression falls slowly. Then, suddenly, she begins to laugh hysterically.]

**MINAKO** : No one. ( _Beat, then, quietly_ ) No one’s ever going to love me as much as I love them, huh?

[MAKO and REI emerge from the mall door. Each has multiple pastel bags on their arm, as well as cups of frozen yogurt in their hands. MAKO pauses first, spotting MINAKO, and a second later, REI follows suit.]

**MAKO** : Minako?

 

[Cut to REI, MAKO, and MINAKO sitting at a small table inside the mall. MINAKO twirls a spoon in her frozen yogurt, apparently more interested in playing with it than eating it.]

**REI** : So, are you going to tell us what’s wrong?

[MINAKO sighs, putting down her spoon.]

**MINAKO** : It’s . . . it’s Artemis. I think he’s still upset about today.

**REI** : Oh. Because you got trapped or . . .?

[MINAKO shakes her head.]

**MINAKO** : I don’t think he wants me to date. I think he just wants me to be ready to become Sailor Venus.

[REI and MAKO look at each other, then back to MINAKO.]

**MAKO** : ( _Quietly_ ) But you _are_ Sailor Venus.

**MINAKO** : I know. That’s what I keep telling him, but he doesn’t listen. It’s always duty first, unless my grades are bad. ( _Aside_ ) I thought having Diana around would mellow him out a little.

**REI** : Plus, why wouldn’t you date? You’re always crushing on three people at a time, at least.

**MAKO** : ( _Smiling_ ) Or, you know, ten.

**REI** : ( _Giggling_ ) Every pretty boy and girl out there. And Haruka.

[MINAKO blushes, picking up her yogurt cup and holds it just below her face. She pouts.]

**MINAKO** : ( _Quietly_ ) I do not.

**REI** : Oh? Name someone then.

**MINAKO** : What?

**REI** : Name someone pretty that you don’t even have the teensiest crush on.

[MINAKO stays silent.]

**REI** : Not even a flicker. You just looked at that person and said to yourself, ‘I am not going to date that person.’

[MINAKO becomes increasingly flustered, her eyes shaping into a glare as quiet seconds tick on and the other’s faces only become more smug. Then, she takes a big scoop of frozen yogurt and eats it.]

**MINAKO** : Fine then.

[REI and MAKO start laughing. MINAKO sulks.]

**MINAKO** : ( _Protesting_ ) I’m the guardian of love! What do you want from me?

[REI and MAKO settle down, but continue to smile.]

**MAKO** : Nothing. We love that about you.

[MINAKO’s glare returns.]

**MINAKO** : I don’t think I’m exactly your type, though.

[REI looks at MAKO out of the corner of her eye, then back at MINAKO.]

**REI** : I’m that kind too, you know.

[REI holds MINAKO’s gaze for a long moment until she looks back down at her yogurt. MAKO and MINAKO both blush, and REI smirks.]

**MINAKO** : ( _Muttering_ ) Whatever.

 

[Cut to REI getting on the bus home, MAKO and MINAKO waving goodbye. It’s dark out, but neither of them want to wait for the bus that will take them from the edge of downtown. They begin to walk together. They’re silent for a while.]

**MAKO** : So . . . those guys you were dating. They were Hawk’s Eye and Tiger’s Eye?

[MINAKO nods.]

**MAKO** : What was that like?

**MINAKO** : What do you mean?

**MAKO** : Dating them. Dating two guys, especially those guys.

[MINAKO hesitates for a long moment.]

**MINAKO** : It was exhausting, but nice. I know they were pretending, but they were nice. And cool. And handsome. And then they tried to kill me.

**MAKO** : ( _Nervously_ ) Ha! Yeah, that sounds like a lot of my dates.

**MAKO** [ _after a pause_ ]: Did you really like them both?

**MINAKO** : Yeah.

**MAKO** : That’s cool.

**MINAKO** : Huh?

**MAKO** : Really. I know we were all giving you a hard time earlier but that’s . . . I’m not sure I could do that.

**MINAKO** : I couldn’t either. Not really.

**MAKO** : Even if they both knew?

**MINAKO** : I don’t think there are any boys who could stand that. I don’t think they would even know what to do with me if they couldn’t have me all to themselves, you know? I don’t think they’d feel like men.

**MAKO** : Yeah, boys are like that. ( _Beat_ ) But I kind of like that, maybe. Sometimes it makes me feel special. Sometimes I wish, though . . .

[There is a lengthy pause]

**MINAKO** : Wish what?

**MAKO** : I don’t know. But I think there’s something more. Something else.

**MINAKO** : I know what you mean, I think.

[MINAKO reaches out a hand, her fingers just tapping MAKO’s arm. MAKO turns to look for a second, then offers her arm out. They link their arms together, MINAKO holding onto MAKO’s upper arm.]

**MINAKO** : I guess we have time to find it, living forever and everything.

[MAKO laughs shortly.]

**MAKO** : I guess we do. ( _Quieter_ ) You’ll be the first one to know when I do.

[MINAKO holds up her communication bracelet.]

**MINAKO** : I’ll never be far away.

**MAKO** : Promise?

**MINAKO** : Promise. ( _Beat_.) Promise me.

**MAKO** : I promise.

**MINAKO** : I’ll hold you to it.

**MAKO** : ( _Dryly_ ) I think you already are. ( _Extended pause._ ) Oh! By the way, what was your beautiful dream? I’ve been curious.

[MINAKO leans her head against MAKO’s shoulder, closing her eyes. She smiles knowingly.]

**MINAKO** : It’s a secret.

[MAKO smiles, doing her best to walk in step. She frowns as MINAKO begins to lean too much, though, and they begin to veer towards a wall. MAKO trips, and they crash into the wall.]

**MAKO** : I take it back. You three protect Usagi, I’m going to America to find a nice boy and-

**MINAKO** : Ssshhh ssshh ssshh.

[MINAKO crawls over to MAKO, placing a finger over her mouth.]

**MINAKO** : No. You’re staying with me forever. You promised. It’s part of my dream.

[MAKO stays quiet until she drops her finger.]

**MAKO** : Okay.

[Episode ends.]

References

 

Butterfield, Benjamin. (2017). “Love and Liberation: The Power to Revolutionize the World.” PDF File. Originally published March 21, 2017. [ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gDiW9A2kmbJbf6LK1SV8-qzzsVfn87R0d5yKTALMR8o/pub ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gDiW9A2kmbJbf6LK1SV8-qzzsVfn87R0d5yKTALMR8o/pub)

Nagaike, Kazumi. (2010). “The Sexual and Textual Politics of Japanese Lesbian Comics: Reading Romantic and Erotic Yuri Narratives.” _Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies, 4,_ 2010\. [ http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/articles/2010/Nagaike.html ](http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/articles/2010/Nagaike.html)

Radway, Janice. (2007). “The Readers and their Romances.” _Reading the Romance: Women, Patriarchy, and Popular Literature,_ Chapel Hill, NC, The University of North Carolina Press, 2007, 46-86.

S _ailor Moon SuperS._ (1995). “Storm of Love: Minako's Grand Two-Timing Plan.” 141. Directed by Takuya Igarashi. Written by Ryota Yamaguchi. TV Asahi, July 9, 1995.

Spade, Dean. “For Lovers and Fighters,” [ http://www.makezine.enoughenough.org/newpoly2.html ](http://www.makezine.enoughenough.org/newpoly2.html)


End file.
